A political tidal wave has blown across the camp of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in Cross River State as over 5,000 its members have defected to the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in the Northern senatorial District.
It was gathered that among the defectors were former APC wards and chapter officers, women leaders, leaders of Hausa community in Ogoja, Yala, Bekwarra, Obanliku and Obudu as well as LP candidates in the last Ogoja/Yala federal Constituency and aspirants in the last congresses.
Receiving the defectors at TTC field Igoli-Ogoja on Saturday, the Vice Chairman of PDP Northern Senatorial district, Chief Austine Edibe, lauded them for their courage to join the party at this nick of time.
He enjoined them to go back to their respective wards and work for the success of PDP in 2023, adding that the wards that deliver highest votes would be re-warded with more dividends of democracy.
Also welcoming the defectors, Sen Jarigbe Agom Jarigbe, advised them to be loyal to party leadership at their various wards and be steadfast, assuring them of more empowerment programmes to accommodate them.
Jarigbe said: “This is the time for the defectors to tie their belts and reject any form of inducements in readiness for the battle ahead.”
Earlier, the former Deputy Governor, Efiok Cobham, said the defectors should join the “operation vote APC out” and called on them to get their PVCs ready to bring back PDP.
Some of the defectors expressed their readiness to work for PDP, saying “we are back to our root.”
One of the defectors and a former chapter treasurer of APC Obudu, Agim Joseph Agim, said they came back to PDP because of the love for Sen Jarigbe and to be part of the success story ahead of 2023.
On his part, Ushie James Odey, former APC secretary Ukpah ward in Bekwarra, said: “We have worked for APC for seven years and I got nothing neither was I empowered. So, I decided to defect to PDP where I can be given human treatment.”
For John Brown Ugbada from Yala, he said: “I came over with about 300 APC members. We are returning to PDP to enable us to work for PDP and reposition Yala local government area.”
For Dominic Ebi, a former LP candidate for the last Yala/Ogoja federal constituency by-election, he said: “I have returned to PDP because it is a family that has a reward system.”
Rice, a staple for Christmas celebrations in Nigeria, has become a luxury this year. Soaring…
Panic erupted on Saturday at a concert in Lagos when the stage collapsed during Odumodublvck’s…
The Federal Government of Nigeria has allocated ₦6,364,181,224 billion for the refurbishment and rehabilitation of…
The black market dollar to naira exchange rate for today, 22nd December 2024, can be…
The Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited (NNPCL) has refuted claims that the 60,000 barrels per…
Manchester City finds itself in unprecedented turmoil, with relegation-level form showing little sign of improvement.…